On Monday evening at Busch Stadium, the offense and defense received the majority of the attention in a 6-1 St. Louis Cardinals victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Though he was not dominant, Cards starting pitcher Chris Carpenter held the visitors to just one run over seven innings. He was aided by solid defensive play, especially from shortstop Brendan Ryan and right fielder Ryan Ludwick.
In quietly picking up his ninth win of the season against just three losses, the 34 year-old-ace lowered his season’s ERA to 2.19. As always, Carpenter did not beat himself, allowing just two walks over his seven mound innings.
In fact, it was the 32nd consecutive start by the right-hander in which he issued two or fewer walks. Tom Orf helps us put this into context by providing the list of such Cardinals streaks this decade.
Cardinals consecutive starts with two or fewer walks (2000-2009)
| Streak start | Streak end | G | W | L | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | |
| Chris Carpenter | 7/30/2006 | 7/27/2009 * | 32 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 214.1 | 183 | 74 | 70 | 34 | 157 | 12 | 2.94 |
| Chris Carpenter | 5/29/2005 | 9/18/2005 | 21 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 163.2 | 118 | 35 | 34 | 25 | 142 | 10 | 1.87 |
| Joel Pineiro | 4/22/2009 | 7/24/2009 * | 17 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 116.2 | 108 | 45 | 35 | 9 | 49 | 2 | 2.70 |
| Woody Williams | 6/16/2002 | 5/10/2003 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 112.1 | 90 | 28 | 28 | 18 | 82 | 8 | 2.24 |
| Kyle Lohse | 5/13/2008 | 7/27/2008 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 95 | 96 | 36 | 33 | 17 | 54 | 11 | 3.13 |
| Matt Morris | 5/9/2003 | 8/28/2003 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 85.2 | 99 | 49 | 47 | 16 | 55 | 10 | 4.94 |
| Darryl Kile | 6/24/2000 | 9/7/2000 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 106 | 98 | 41 | 38 | 18 | 81 | 13 | 3.23 |
| Adam Wainwright | 4/26/2008 | 9/13/2008 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 91.1 | 86 | 37 | 34 | 19 | 62 | 11 | 3.35 |
| Matt Morris | 9/15/2004 | 6/6/2005 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 81.2 | 76 | 39 | 34 | 16 | 58 | 8 | 3.75 |
| Joel Pineiro | 7/21/2008 | 4/10/2009 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 64.2 | 83 | 44 | 41 | 12 | 37 | 14 | 5.71 |
| Chris Carpenter | 7/30/2004 | 4/10/2005 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 64.2 | 62 | 29 | 25 | 11 | 52 | 7 | 3.48 |
| Jason Simontacchi | 5/7/2003 | 9/2/2003 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 73 | 45 | 42 | 15 | 44 | 14 | 6.41 |
| Kyle Lohse | 8/23/2008 | 4/23/2009 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 64 | 62 | 23 | 20 | 14 | 42 | 4 | 2.81 |
| Braden Looper | 7/4/2008 | 8/24/2008 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 58 | 25 | 24 | 12 | 36 | 11 | 3.43 |
| Andy Benes | 4/29/2000 | 6/17/2000 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 64.1 | 73 | 32 | 32 | 14 | 59 | 12 | 4.48 |
While Carpenter’s current run is by far the longest for the club this decade, he also holds the second-longest such streak, accomplished during his stellar Cy Young Award campaign in 2005.
Another active streak is tied for third on the list. Fellow starter Joel Pineiro currently is working on a 17-game run. Even more amazing is that Pineiro has given out just nine free passes and allowed only two home runs in total during those 17 starts.
Pineiro will be trying to extend his streak when he opposes the Dodgers on Wednesday night. Carpenter will be pitching this weekend against the visiting Houston Astros.
Chris Carpenter is not merely an “Ace”, by virtue of being the best of our starting rotation, but also by virtue being a pitching virtuoso! In his most recent outing, when hardly any of his stuff was working and he found himself going deep into the counts, he relied on his “two seamer” not only to induce ground outs, but also to induce four double-plays! Chris is a stud! Both the overpowering Adam Wainwright and the fast-paced Joel Pineiro represent nothing short of proof that it is possible to have more than one “Ace” on the staff!
There is a gradual degradation in mechanics as the innings mount. Carp is starting to shake his arm a few times an inning to loosen something thats starting to tighten. I wish Tony wouldn’t push him so hard. I’m worried about him. The attempted 8th inning last night made me scream. The 7th was difficult enough.
Yeah, I was also more than a little surprised to see Carpenter left in so long.
I’m surprised some of you old-timers are impressed with todays aces compared with Gibby and some other complete game machines of the past.
bb,
It’s a different game. The players are bigger, stronger and faster. Training techniques are better. Video allows pitchers and batters to review their work right after they get off the field.
It’s simply the evolution of the game. Forty years ago, people wondered how the guys around the turn of the last century could work 400 innings plus. Everything changes with time.
Of course, I’m sure there are some old-timers that will tell you things were better back in the day, just as there were old-timers when i was just a pup saying the same thing.
One clear example was forty years ago I would listen to old time baseball people complain that the new guys don’t understand the fundamentals of the game and are rushed to the majors, etc. You hear the same thing now from the new old-timers.
For perspective, any idea what the major league record is?
baseball almanac has the record Cy Young 749 complete games. Many of those were before 1900. For perspective, Walter Johnson had 531 in 1910′s 20′s, Bob Feller had 279 in a career interrupted by WWII, Warren Spahn 382 after the war into early 60′d, Bob Gibson had 255, including 28 out of 34 starts in 1968.
Randy Johnson has 100 CG
Minimizing walks deserves to viewed in combination with minimizing homeruns. This combination is important and says a lot about a pitcher. When both factors are present, he is throwing strikes, but keeping the ball down and not challenging hitters in their wheelhouses. This has to be what LaDuncan like to see.
Obtaining strikeouts are something fans like, and indeed strikeouts can be helpful for those with swing and miss pitches. But a problem with strikeouts is they can be accompanied with a rise in HRs, because a pitcher often is then elevating the ball. Also throwing swing and miss pitches may put more stress on the arm, causing injuries and lost time.
So when a starting pitcher can consume innings, and minimize both walks and HRs, then it does not get much better than that. Pineiro’s improvement this year seems unusual and praiseworthy. Its impressive LaDuncan even imagined Joel capable of improving his game at age circa 30. The guy has reinvented himself from blah to an ace. That does not happen too often.
In late 2006, the Cards somehow squeezed a stretch of good pitching out of Jeff Weaver, who then reverted to wretched in 2007/08 for other teams. Weaver is no longer a starter, but hanging on as a reliever.
In comparison, the transformation of Pineiro is all the more impressive. Pineiro seems like he has an effective, sustainable approach that is going to last for a while, no one month wonder.
Wellemeyer’s 2008 was also impressive. The Cards signed him after released by the last place Royals and turned him into an effective starter last season, harnessing his velocity and improving his control via starting. That was fantastic, but a one year wonder. This season, Welly has lost a couple of mph and slipped back to his norm, lousy. Barring injury, Pineiro’s success seems more sustainable. He could end up a pricey commodity in the off-season free agent market.
I wouldn’t dare to compare Chris with Bob Gibson (or ANY of the immortals from yesteryear). I am simply saying that he is an actual “Ace” and that both the overpowering Adam Wainwright and the fast-paced Joel Pineiro represent nothing short of proof that it is possible to have more than one “Ace” on the staff. Since writing those words, Wainwright and Pineiro both had solid outings and I have no doubt that their performances will continue to vindicate my assertion. The 100 pitch barrier will certainly inhibit complete games and we will consequently NEVER see 12 inning Harvey Haddix masterpieces ever again. However, we WILL see the low E.R.A’s which are characteristic of Aces, regardless of whether they are from yesteryear or the present.
Pineiro makes it into the table above for his couple of months service in late 2007. He qualified then because he threw strikes and minimized walks. But he was very prone to serving up home runs and was not very good. He pitched up in the zone and was hammered.
In 2009, Pineiro has taken his great leap forward by suppressing the HRs, while retaining the strike-thowing he had in 2007.
It seems useful to remember Marquis in 2006. He was lousy. He seemed unable to throw a sinker for strikes, so was throwing mediocre fastballs up. He was a battler, but awful. He has since improved a bit, even making this years all star team, why I will never know, but Pineiro seems now what Jason has always wanted to be, a guy who can throw a sinker low for strikes. Marquis can throw a sinker too low for balls, ugh, as he showed in 06, but Pineiro is presently a sinkerballer who has truly mastered its art.
Joel is fearless right now, as is Franklin. They are both locating without anxiety. Thats good pitching. I don’t have a high expectation from Lohse tonight. He is still not right. Lets hope that the expectation that he pitches 7 or 8 innings is important enough that he rises to the occasion. Lets hope that Albert’s funk has gone south. The Dodgers are pounding his hand and he seems defenseless. Thank god for Weaver centering one. I will be interested to see if Holiday takes a rest tonight, placing Rick and Colby out there together.
I’ll give you another example of how the game has changed and why old-time stats have less meaning than some would like to give them.
Take triples as a category that has changed dramatically over the years. In the last 52 years there have been only six players that reached 20 tripes in a season. Curtis Granderson with 23 has the most. Those 23 tie him for 22nd on the all-time list.
To put it another way, of the top 113 all-time best seasons for triples only six have come in the last 52 years.
Were guys faster a 100 years ago? Of course not! Competition is better (despite the claims of old-timers that talent today is watered down) as well as equipment, not to mention the factors I brought up earlier about size, strength, etc.
I wonder how many of those triples got hit in some of those old parks with abnormally deep fences. Also, Manny illustrated last night that the difference between a double and a triple can be nothing more than the vigor or sloth of the outfielder.
I didn’t see that BB. I would say the Manny played it right. If he tries to cut it off and fails, game over. It was a tough decision, better than Luddy’s exploration. Cubs are starting to rout the Astro’s.
bb,
I’m sure the depth of the fences had something to do with the number of triples hit in the 1800′s and early last century.
I’m also sure the 15″ mound had something to do with pitcher dominance before 1969 when it was reduced to 10″.
Both are examples of the evolution of the game. Want another?
The top ten batters of players that made at least 1000 plate appearances after WW II and their ranking among the top all-time in parentheses.
Ted Williams .344 (7)
Tony Gwynn .338 (20)
Albert Pujols .334 (t24)
Ichiro Suzuki .333 (t26)
Stan Musial .331 (31)
Todd Helton .328 (35)
Wade Boggs ..328 (36)
Rod Carew .328 (37)
Joe DiMaggio .325 (43)
Vlad Guerrero .322 (50)
Ten out of the top fifty have played regularly in the last 64 years.
Also, when I was doing this research, I ran across the name Dave Orr, which I didn’t recognize. He played in the 1880′s and had the 11th best lifetime batting average (.342) and was tied for the second highest numbers of triples (31) in a single season. B-R shows him as 5′ 11′, 250 lbs. Man, he must have been a sight chugging around those bases. He played in the American Association, which was considered a major league.
Westy, I thought he was in no hurry to track it down which turned a 2 into a 3. Balls go into that left corner a lot and are hardly ever a triple, I can’t even think of one other. DD17, I wonder what Albert thinks about being ahead of Stan.